Grain-decorticating machine.



A. B. PAIGE.

GRAIN DBCORTIGATING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 27, 1914. L1 31,787. Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

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GRAIN-DECORTICATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1215.

Application filed April 27, 1914. Serial No. 834,592.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUSTIN B. PAIGE, citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Des Moines, Polk county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Grain-Decorticating Machine, of which the following is a speciiication.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for machines for decorticating rice, preparing wheat for Graham meal, hulling corn, or refreshing the appearance of cofee and other cereals.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for introducing a blast of air to a grain-abrading machine for carrying olf the chaff and regulating the temperature of the grain as it is treated.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for automatically feeding grain to the machine from a hopper.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved abrading or decortieating surface.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan of the devices for automatically opening and closing the entrance opening to the inachine.

In the construction of the machine as shown the numeral 10 designates generally the frame of any suitable construction. A pipe 11 is mounted longitudinally of and secured to the top of the frame 10. An inner cylinder or drum 12 is mounted rigidly on and supported in stationary manner and in recumbent position by the pipe 11. An outer drum or cylinder 13 is mounted concentrically of the stationary drum or cylinder 12 and is journaled for rotation on the pipe 11. The cylinder 12 is formed with a coating 111 and the cylinder 13 with a .lining 15 of suitable decorticating, hulling, scouring, abrading or polishing material. I prefer to use for the decorticating operation a surface composed of a concrete mixture of proper proportions overlaid with a veneer or enamel composed of a concrete mixture containing inely pulverized quartz or corundum. rlfhe space between the coating let and lining 15 is relatively small, there being preferably less than an inch between the two surfaces. r1`he outer cylinder 13 is somewhat longer than the inner cylinder 12, and the ends of said cylinders also are provided with the decorticating or ahrading surfaces as above described. Rollers 16, 1T are mounted for rotation in the frame 10 and serve to support, guide and steady the revolving drum or cylinder 13.

A feeding hopper 18 is mounted at one end of the frame 10 above the revolving drum 13 and has its mouth normally closed by a weighted lever 19, which is provided with a cushion 19a on its inner end to pre vent injury to the grain. The revolving drum 13 is formed with an opening 20 at one end adapted to register at times, during the revolution of said drum, with the mouth of the hopper 18, and said opening normally is closed by a slide 21. A curved guide 22 is mounted over the drum 13 and supported from the frame 10 and is adapted to engage a lug 23 on the slide 21 and open the slide when it is uppermost or in register with the mouth of the hopper 18, and to close said slide and the opening 20 when the drum has passed on so that the opening is beyond the mouth of said hopper. The weighted lever 19 is adapted to be engaged by a lug 25 or projection on the outside of the revolving cylinder 13 for the purpose of opening the mouth of the hopper 18 when the opening 20 of said cylinder is uppermost and in register with the mouth of the hopper, to permit grain in said hopper to enter the cylinder, after which the weight on the lever closes the mouth of the hopper.

The inner lining 15 of the revolving cylinder 13 is formed with a plurality of spiral pocket-like grooves 24 adapted to carry the grain up and over the stationary drum and also cause said grain to progress from the inlet to the opposite end of the machine. An outlet opening is formed in the opposite end of the revolving cylinder 13 and the size of said opening can be regulated and determined, or completely closed, by a manuallyoperated slide 2G. A container or bin 27 is provided to receive the treated grain after it leaves the outlet opening of the machine. A gear ring 28 is lined to the outer cylinder 13 and may be connected, by intermediate gearing if desired, to any desired prime mover (not shown). The outer cylinder is designed to be driven at a comparatively slow rate of speed, about one or one and onehalf revolutions to the minute, or one foot or less every ten seconds.

A draft of cool air is forced into the pipe 1l by any desired means such as a blower of common form (not shown). This air is conveyed by lateral branches 29 from the pipe 1l to the rim of the stationary drum 12 and is transmitted through openings in the coating let to the interior of the machine to the end of reducing the temperature of the grain being treated. The openings in the coating 14 are covered by Wire mesh or screens 30. This current of atmospheric air should be so tempered that it will toughen the berry of rice or other grain during the process of de corticating and render it less liable to crack, score or break into pieces.

Different portions of the concrete surfaces may be made of any different degrees of fineness as desired so that some portions can be adapt-ed more for polishing than scouring. VOrl if desired tivo different machines may be employed, and the second have its drums or cylinders 'coated or lined with polishing surfaces to polish the grain after' it has been decorticated in the first machine.

I claim as my invention* l. A grain decorticating' machine, comprising a stationary drum, and a revolving drum concentric with and outside of the first drum, the opposing surface of said drums being coated with an abrading mixture, the coating of the revolving drum being formed With a spiral pocketshaped groove.

2. A grain-decorticating machine, comprising a frame, an air pipe mounted hori-` zontally thereon, a drum mounted rigidly on said air pipe, an outer drum rotatably mounted on said air pipe and concentric With the first drum, and branches leading from said air pipe to the periphery of the first drum.

8. A grain-decorticating machine, oomprising a frame, an air pipe mounted thereon, a drum mounted on said air pipe, an outer drum journaled for rotation on said air pipe and concentric ivith the first drum, branches leading from said air pipe to the periphery of the first drum, and screens in said branches.

4. A grain-decorticating machine, comprising a stationary drumya revolving drum concentric with and outside of the first drum, said revolving drum being formed with an inlet opening near one end, a hopper mounted over said-V revolving drum and adapted to register With said inlet opening at times, means for automatically closing the mouth of said hopper, and means on said revolving drum for opening said closing means when the inlet opening thereof is in register With said hopper.

5. A grain-decorticating machine, co1nprising a frame, a stationary drum thereon, a revolving drum concentric with and outside of the first drum, said revolving drum being formed ivith an inlet opening near one end and an outlet opening near the opposite end, a hopper carried by said frame over the revolving drum and adapted to register with the inlet opening thereof at times, means for normally closing said inlet opening and for automatically opening' the same when in register with said hopper, and means for automatically opening said hopper when in register with 'said inlet opening.

G; A grain-decorticating machine, 'comprising a drum,a revolving drum concentric with and outside of the first drum, said revolving drum being formed with an inlet opening `near one end, a hopper mounted over 'said revolving ydrum and adapted to register with said inlet opening at times, a Weighted lever fulcrumed in said hopper and adapted normally to close the mouth thereof, and cam devices on said revolving drum for oscillating said Weighted lever when the' inlet opening is in register with said hopper.

7. A grain-decorticating machine, comprising a frame, Va drum mounted for rota# tion thereon, said drum being formed With an inlet opening near' one end and an outlet opening near' the opposite end, a hopper car= ried by said frame over the drum and adapted to register with the inlet opening thereof at times, a plate slidingly mounted on said driim and normally closing said inlet opening', means on said frame for engaging and opening said plate when the inlet opening is in register with the hopper, and means on said frame for closing said plate thereafter.

Signed by me at Des Moines, Iowa, this 31 day of March, 191e.

AUSTIN B. PAIGE.

EARL M. SICLAR, A. L. Coon.

Copies of this patent may be obtaini for ve cents each, hy addressing the Commissioner of Patenti,

Washington, D. C. 

